Attachment B - Staff Report - Z-TA-8-25-Y.pdf

Staff Report 
Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment 
Z-TA-8-25-Y
October 22, 2025 
Application No. Z-TA-8-25-Y: Amend the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance Chapter 12, 
Section 1203 (Land Use Matrix, Downtown Code) to allow public utility buildings and 
facilities to obtain administrative approval from the City when in full compliance with all 
applicable development regulations of the Downtown Code, including any specific 
Character Area regulations.  Under current ordinance, all public utility buildings and 
facilities must obtain approval from the Design Review Committee through a public 
hearing process. 
Staff recommendation: Staff recommends approval of Z-TA-8-25-Y per the language 
proposed in Exhibit A. 
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 
This text amendment is a response to HB 2447 and HB 2928, both approved by the 
Arizona Legislature (2024).   HB 2447 revised Section 9-500.49, Arizona Revised 
Statutes, to change an existing permission to a requirement: specifically, to require 
municipalities to allow administrative personnel to review and approve design review 
plans without a public hearing.  HB 2928 modified HB 2447 to clarify that the 
administrative review requirement did not apply to design review plans for properties 
designated historic, which often require approval through a public hearing. 
The purpose of this text amendment is to revise the zoning ordinance to comply with the 
administrative design review requirements of HB 2447 and HB 2928.  Staff have 
concluded that only one existing review process needs to be modified, that being the 
requirement for Design Review Committee to approve any public utility building or 
facility (such as a substation) when zoned Downtown Code.   
PROPOSAL 
Staff recommends the revision of Section 1203.D.28, to introduce an option for the 
ATTACHMENT B

Staff Report: Z-TA-8-25-Y 
October 22, 2025 
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public utility building to be administratively approved if designed in compliance with 
development regulations of the Downtown Code applicable to any other type of building 
provided on the same site.  The process for Design Review Committee approval would 
still remain as an option for appeal if the proposed facility cannot or will not comply with 
the otherwise-applicable development regulations. 
 
PROPOSED LANGUAGE 
The proposed modified language is attached as Exhibit A. 
 
CONCLUSION 
Staff recommends approval of Z-TA-8-25-Y per the language proposed in Exhibit A. 
 
 
Writer 
C. DePerro 
October 22, 2025 
 
Team Leader 
T. Gomes 
 
Exhibits 
 
A. Proposed Language

Staff Report: Z-TA-8-25-Y 
October 22, 2025 
Page 3 
 
Exhibit A 
 
Staff proposed language that may be modified during the public hearing process 
is as follows: 
Section 1203.  Land Use Matrix (Downtown Code) 
Amend Section 1203.  Land Use Matrix (Downtown Code) to read as follows: 
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Section 1203. Land Use Matrix  
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D. 
Land Use Conditions. The following shall apply to uses that are permitted with 
conditions (pc) OR USE PERMIT (up) as indicated with a number that corresponds 
with the Land Use Matrix in Section 1203.C: 
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28. 
Public utility buildings and facilities shall be fully screened and subject to the 
following: MUST COMPLY WITH ALL DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS 
APPLICABLE TO THE PROPOSED SITE AS SET FORTH IN THIS 
CHAPTER, UNLESS THE APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT THE DESIGN 
REVIEW COMMITTEE APPROVE A DESIGN ALTERNATIVE APPEAL 
PER THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 1224.A AS MODIFIED IN (A) 
THROUGH (F) BELOW: 
a. 
Mixed use opportunities should be prioritized for locating utility 
buildings and facilities. The applicant shall submit a written analysis 
to the Planning and Development Director or his/her designee of 
possible mixed use opportunities to allow for an integrated 
development project that minimizes the visual impact of the proposed 
utility. (R*)

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October 22, 2025 
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b. 
All public utility buildings and facilities AND EQUIPMENT SHALL BE 
FULLY SCREENED FROM ABUTTING STREETS, WITH THE 
EXCEPTION OF REQUIRED UTILITY POLES subject to the 
provisions of this land use condition shall be reviewed and acted 
upon by the Design Review Committee as a design alternative 
appeal, per the provisions of Section 1224.A. (R*) 
c. 
The applicant must hold a public neighborhood meeting and send 
written notification of the public neighborhood meeting and the DRC 
hearing date to real property owners and to neighborhood 
associations registered with the City pursuant to the DRC process 
handout. 
d. 
The use cannot be located on a light rail street or adjoining Hance 
Park, or only separated by a street from Hance Park, unless the 
mixed use opportunity outlined in Section 1203.D.28.a is satisfied. 
e. 
For the required street frontage(s), the Design Review Committee 
(DRC) may approve one of the following: 
(1) 
A wall designed to mimic the frontage type which meets the 
intent of both the applicable character area and the 
streetscape standards, and that appears to be a conforming 
building as viewed from street. 
(2) 
A creative use or frontage design alternative that surrounds 
the public utility building and facilities, as determined by the 
DRC as appropriate for scale of the area. 
(3) 
A micro-park, which shall include at least three of the following 
elements, as indicated below, and as determined by the DRC 
as appropriate for scale of the area: 
A minimum of two of the following installations: 
(a) 
Recreational amenities such as but not limited to a 
single basketball hoop, swing, and/or climbing 
equipment.

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(b) 
Landscape areas designed to create outdoor rooms or 
useful spaces, which may include extensive hardscape, 
decorative paving and/or artificial turf. 
(c) 
Shade trees or shade structures. 
(d) 
Lighting and seating designed to discourage camping. 
In addition, a minimum of one of the following more significant 
scale installations: 
(e) 
A local public art component and/or wall displays for 
local public arts organizations. 
(f) 
An educational component that describes the history or 
setting. 
(g) 
Facilities for pop-up retail, restaurant, farmers markets, 
and/or public events, which may include programming 
that changes seasonally, if permitted in the character 
area. 
(h) 
Facilities for pets, which may include water sources, 
enclosures for off-leash activity, and stations for pet 
washing. 
f. 
When considering an alternative frontage proposal in accordance 
with Section 1203.D.28.e, the DRC is authorized to provide relief from 
other streetscape and frontage zone regulations, including those 
indicated as (R).  TECHNICAL APPEALS CANNOT BE APPROVED 
BY THE DRC. 
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